Indians notebook: No one worried about closer Borowski

Friday

Sep 28, 2007 at 12:01 AMSep 28, 2007 at 2:38 PM

Cleveland’s veteran closer suffered blown saves on consecutive days Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle. Both Manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis said Thursday they believe Joe Borowski will be just fine.

Andy Call

While fans chew their fingernails, tap their feet and develop nervous tics, no one around the Indians clubhouse seems at all worried about Joe Borowski.

Cleveland’s veteran closer suffered blown saves on consecutive days Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle. Both Manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis said Thursday they believe Borowski will be just fine.

“He says he feels great,” Willis said. “His velocity was normal. He just wasn’t getting ahead in the count. Nobody likes to see what’s happened, but it’s a fact of life – it does.”

Borowski is 43-for-51 in save situations, but five of those eight blown saves have come during his last 17 save situations.

“He’s had a great season,” Wedge said. “He is so tough, mentally, emotionally and physically. He¹s just a tough individual, and he exemplifies that every day.”

Rookie pinch-hitter Jeff Clement hit a 1-0 fastball into the right-field seats for a home run during the ninth inning Wednesday, and Seattle went on to win the game in the 10th. Clement got his first career hit during the opener of the doubleheader.

“If you play this game long enough, they say you’re going to experience everything,” Borowski told The Associated Press.

Perhaps the Mariners simply have his number. Borowski has a loss and three blown saves in his last four appearances against Seattle.

Willis said there appear to be no physical issues with the 36-year-old right-hander, who has battled shoulder problems in the past.

“He’s a horse,” Willis said. “He’s as strong as anybody out there. Don’t tell (Travis) Hafner I said that.”

Borowski’s saves aren’t often things of beauty. He has allowed a baserunner in 31 of his last 34 appearances. Opposing batters are hitting .291 against him. He has given up 75 hits, 16 walks and nine home runs in 64 innings.

Yet, it’s hard to argue with 43-for-51.

“For me, it’s a black-and-white thing,” Wedge said. “You either get it done or you don’t. He’s gotten it done.”

Let’s play two

When Tuesday’s 10-inning series opener and Wednesday’s doubleheader were added together, the Indians and Mariners played 31 innings in a span of 27 hours, 30 minutes.

Hmmmm

INF Luis Rivas started at second base Thursday after going 3-for-5 and driving in four runs during Wednesday’s opener. The Indians may be considering Rivas for a spot on the postseason roster if they elect to carry 15 position players.

Here’s the plan

RHP Fausto Carmona will stay sharp for his Game 2 start in the Division Series by throwing bullpen sessions Saturday and Tuesday. “A couple extra days isn’t going to hurt him,” Willis said Thursday. “In fact, he’s out there running stairs right now. The guy never stops.”

More pitching news

LHP C.C. Sabathia will be limited to 105 to 110 pitches tonight in Kansas City. ... LHP Aaron Laffey will start Sunday, but nearly every other pitcher on the roster will be available if needed to win that game and nail down home-field advantage for the postseason. ... The Indians won’t decide whether Jake Westbrook or Paul Byrd will pitch Game 3 of the Division Series until after Westbrook’s start Saturday in Kansas City.

He’s back

OF David Dellucci beat out a potential double-play ground ball in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s opener. It was his first at-bat since being injured June 19. “Considering where I’ve come from, to have a detached hamstring surgically removed, to come back and get an at-bat, I’m extremely pleased with that,” Dellucci said. “My timing was not that bad. It’s something to build off of.”

No shot

SS Jhonny Peralta said he had no chance to field the game-ending bad-hop single that eluded him in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s nightcap. “I tried to wait on it, but the ball dove down,” Peralta said. “It’s hard to read a ball like that.”

Let’s party

A rally for the Indians will take place Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. on Gateway Plaza. A live concert featuring Michael Stanley and the Resonators will take place, some Indians alumni will be on hand and giveaways will include tickets to the Division Series.